Metal gate and railing painting

Railings on period streets

Front garden walls topped with cast-iron railings are a defining feature of many Victorian and Edwardian streets in Ealing, Acton and Hanwell. Some are original, some are modern replacements, and many have been painted dozens of times. Cast iron is brittle and intricate in shape; wrought iron and mild steel are more forgiving. All of them rust where the paint has cracked, usually at the base where they sit in the stone or brick coping, and at the joints.

Where the bars are set into holes in the coping, water collects around each base and rust starts there first, so that joint gets the most attention during preparation.

Rust treatment, step by step

1. Loose rust and flaking paint are removed with wire brushes, scrapers and abrasive pads, working into scrolls and finials.
2. Sound old paint is keyed so the new coats grip.
3. Remaining surface rust is treated with a rust converter or rust-inhibiting primer where full removal is not practical.
4. Bare metal is primed promptly, with a zinc-phosphate or red-oxide primer on iron and steel.
5. An undercoat and one or two top coats of metal paint follow.

Rust treatment on site is not the same as blasting a gate back to bare metal in a workshop. Railings with heavy corrosion, splits or missing sections should be repaired by a metalworker or blacksmith before painting.

Old paint may contain lead

Railings and gates first painted before the 1960s very often have lead-based paint in their lower layers. It is harmless while intact but hazardous as dust or fumes. That is why old paint on railings is tested where there is doubt, and taken back by wet abrading and scraping, never by dry sanding, power sanding or burning off. Debris is collected rather than left in front gardens or washed into the gutter.

Gloss, satin or direct-to-metal?

Black gloss is the traditional finish for Victorian railings and suits most period frontages. Gloss is also the most weather-resistant, as water runs straight off it. Satin gives a softer, more modern look and is kinder to old, pitted iron. Direct-to-metal paints combine primer and top coat, which saves time on lightly rusted metal, but on badly corroded railings a separate primer and top coat usually lasts longer.

A colour change on a street of black railings may be noticed in a conservation area, so if your house is in one, check with Ealing Council before changing it. The exterior painting page covers the rules for house fronts in more detail.

Gates, balconies and other metalwork

The same process applies to side gates, garden gates, Juliet balconies, metal fire escapes, boot scrapers and cast-iron downpipes. Hinges and latches are kept free of paint so they still move, and gates are painted in two stages so the faces and edges hidden when closed are covered too. Galvanised steel, often used for new gates, needs a primer or etch made for galvanising, otherwise the paint can peel off in sheets.

What does railing painting cost?

As an example, 6 m of front railings typically comes to £450–£560. Ornate cast-iron patterns, heavy rust, lead paint precautions and railings above basement lightwells or on high walls all add time. Dry, mild weather matters here too, because moisture trapped under primer restarts rust quickly. The prices page has other examples.

The Instant Quote lets you enter the length of railing or the number of gates, with photos. Close-ups of the rust at the base help the decorator confirm a fixed quote.